Chapter One -The girl that couldn't smile
The door swung open, and there in the doorway an drenched figure stood, clutching the briefcase which had been trying desperately to keep her dry. Nevertheless, her attempt had been him vain as she swore countless number of times under her breath, a mascara-run, frizzy haired, Helga Patacki, had entered the building.
"..Can I get you anything Miss Patacki?" A mousy brown haired receptionist squeaked timidly and Helga turned towards her giving her the hell-on-earth look she was famous for. She was about to say; you can get me a shotgun so I can blow your pretty head off, when she thought twice about it and straightened her suit. "Calm blue ocean. clam blue ocean." she thought remembering her anger management class. She smirked; casting her fiery eyes away from the measly person in front of her, and walked past her without taking a second glance. The receptionist, sculpture-like hair and face were so un-like herself, and she felt the bitter taste of envy. Yet she reminded herself that she was superior, she was the boss, and these pathetic people were under lings. Oh, how she hated the world.
--
"Right this way sir" Arnold followed the police cadet down a thin vast corridor, the white lights bouncing off the white walls making them shine bright so they blinded him. He filched, rubbing his eyes before turning towards the window-like glass that show what contained inside the tiny room.
"Sir, I'm sorry but I can only give you about 5 minutes tops." the cadet mumbled, he was s young, younger than Arnold in fact, and he had no air of authority like Green. Yet Arnold seemed to not hear him and stared into he room.
The room was bare and dark, and only an simple table and two chairs were inside it, and although he could see into the room, he was positive that the young boy inside with scruffy blonde hair sticking out at either sides couldn't see out. Dressed in baggy clothing, the child looked bored to death, and lay with him head rested between his arms watching tiny dust particles float around him. He looked so sad, tiny, and alone. Arnold couldn't bear to think about what would happen to him if they took him away, not now, not when he just got the kid to trust him.
He felt guilty, he shouldn't of left him back at home, he shouldn't of.., he had been irresponsible, a fool, the kid was only six!. And now he was in deep shit!, it wasn't fair... he wouldn't care so much if it had been just him, that would have been o.k. But Alex too.? Maybe if he could compromise with one of the officers, maybe if he could.
"That's it!" Arnold exclaimed suddenly, and made the cadet jump, the blonde grinned rubbing his chin with a scared hand, "Hey does Gerald still work here?" He asked watching the cadet nod, "Well tell him to bring his ass down here!"
"Didn't. you have a fight with him?." The cadet said watching Arnold walk into the room, but Arnold ignored him. It was true, he and Gerald hadn't spoke to each other for about five months or so after that brawl they had down at the pub. Something about Gerald's girlfriend or something, He hoped, no. He prayed this would work.
--
"I ordered Coffee not this filth!!" came a screechy voice, and outstretched manicured hand came out from beneath the large leather seat that towered twice over the user. And at that particular same time, Helga walked in not even blinking an eye lid at the screeching and sat down at her desk,
"Morning Rhonda" she said simply listening to a squeal of delight as a dolled-up Rhonda spun round on her chair, to stare at her. She made a noise that sounded distinctly of clearing her throat as she saw Helga's flyaway hair, and soaked clothes. And Helga turned to stare at her back, as it looked as if Rhonda would faint.
"My God Helga! you look worse than that coffee I ordered!, or worse than Michaela Li'line's dress! , or worse than-"
"I get the picture; and I practically don't care-"
"-But you have to care!, you're a girl!!"
"-well this girl doesn't, you know I don't get all dolled up just to try and get Mr Bightnough's attention.."
"Who said I was doing that?" Rhonda said pulling out a compact mirror from her bag and admiring herself, in it obvious to the stare Helga was giving her. Mr Bightnough, was one of the town's top lawyers, and Rhonda and Helga of a mere twenty years old, had both excel through law school and in their careers. Although Helga couldn't possibly understand how Rhonda did it since she seemed to never get tired, or late, or miss a board meeting.
"Mr Bightnough says he's got a special assignment for one of us, and you know I don't mean to brag but. I feel like he's finally noticed my abilities!!!" Rhonda sighed, collapsing into her chair comfortably, while Helga continued to roll her eyes and ignore the display.
"Sickening, just sickening.." She thought watching Rhonda paw a picture that she had taken of their boss, smooching and hugging it dreamy eyed, "how far up a person's ass can you go?"
--
"uh-Hi.." Alex squeaked, sliding down his chair so that Arnold could only see his eyes from the rim of the table. Arnold raised an eyebrow at him and yanked up backup into his seat by the scruff of the neck. He frowned, watching the boy wriggle.
"Do you realise. how much trouble your in?!" Arnold said slowly, making each word stand out more than the one before. Alex darted his eyes away from Arnold who changed his grasp to an arm around him. "Look, I don't want to be mad at you but, .i..i-look I told you not to follow me there!! Why'd you go and do that!" Arnold paused watching as the boy remained silent, and started tugging at his arm.
"..I-a" He mumbled looking down, he felt his start eyes burn, his lips were shaking. He felt as if he was going to cry, and he made a sympathetic glance at Arnold who stood watching him sadly.
".they could take you away. do you want that?"
".no"
"Well then." Arnold continued raising his hand to ruffle Alex's hair gently, listening to him sniff loudly as the hand touched him. His body rigid, he looked up at the elder man and locked his arms around him in a hug.
"Hey-!"Arnold said, watching him bury his face into his coat and sniffed hard yet again, Arnold frowned with a disgusted look on his face picturing the snot that had been smeared onto his jacket. He sighed, it was an old jacket anyway. "-Don't worry kiddie- I'll think of something"
The door swung open, and there in the doorway an drenched figure stood, clutching the briefcase which had been trying desperately to keep her dry. Nevertheless, her attempt had been him vain as she swore countless number of times under her breath, a mascara-run, frizzy haired, Helga Patacki, had entered the building.
"..Can I get you anything Miss Patacki?" A mousy brown haired receptionist squeaked timidly and Helga turned towards her giving her the hell-on-earth look she was famous for. She was about to say; you can get me a shotgun so I can blow your pretty head off, when she thought twice about it and straightened her suit. "Calm blue ocean. clam blue ocean." she thought remembering her anger management class. She smirked; casting her fiery eyes away from the measly person in front of her, and walked past her without taking a second glance. The receptionist, sculpture-like hair and face were so un-like herself, and she felt the bitter taste of envy. Yet she reminded herself that she was superior, she was the boss, and these pathetic people were under lings. Oh, how she hated the world.
--
"Right this way sir" Arnold followed the police cadet down a thin vast corridor, the white lights bouncing off the white walls making them shine bright so they blinded him. He filched, rubbing his eyes before turning towards the window-like glass that show what contained inside the tiny room.
"Sir, I'm sorry but I can only give you about 5 minutes tops." the cadet mumbled, he was s young, younger than Arnold in fact, and he had no air of authority like Green. Yet Arnold seemed to not hear him and stared into he room.
The room was bare and dark, and only an simple table and two chairs were inside it, and although he could see into the room, he was positive that the young boy inside with scruffy blonde hair sticking out at either sides couldn't see out. Dressed in baggy clothing, the child looked bored to death, and lay with him head rested between his arms watching tiny dust particles float around him. He looked so sad, tiny, and alone. Arnold couldn't bear to think about what would happen to him if they took him away, not now, not when he just got the kid to trust him.
He felt guilty, he shouldn't of left him back at home, he shouldn't of.., he had been irresponsible, a fool, the kid was only six!. And now he was in deep shit!, it wasn't fair... he wouldn't care so much if it had been just him, that would have been o.k. But Alex too.? Maybe if he could compromise with one of the officers, maybe if he could.
"That's it!" Arnold exclaimed suddenly, and made the cadet jump, the blonde grinned rubbing his chin with a scared hand, "Hey does Gerald still work here?" He asked watching the cadet nod, "Well tell him to bring his ass down here!"
"Didn't. you have a fight with him?." The cadet said watching Arnold walk into the room, but Arnold ignored him. It was true, he and Gerald hadn't spoke to each other for about five months or so after that brawl they had down at the pub. Something about Gerald's girlfriend or something, He hoped, no. He prayed this would work.
--
"I ordered Coffee not this filth!!" came a screechy voice, and outstretched manicured hand came out from beneath the large leather seat that towered twice over the user. And at that particular same time, Helga walked in not even blinking an eye lid at the screeching and sat down at her desk,
"Morning Rhonda" she said simply listening to a squeal of delight as a dolled-up Rhonda spun round on her chair, to stare at her. She made a noise that sounded distinctly of clearing her throat as she saw Helga's flyaway hair, and soaked clothes. And Helga turned to stare at her back, as it looked as if Rhonda would faint.
"My God Helga! you look worse than that coffee I ordered!, or worse than Michaela Li'line's dress! , or worse than-"
"I get the picture; and I practically don't care-"
"-But you have to care!, you're a girl!!"
"-well this girl doesn't, you know I don't get all dolled up just to try and get Mr Bightnough's attention.."
"Who said I was doing that?" Rhonda said pulling out a compact mirror from her bag and admiring herself, in it obvious to the stare Helga was giving her. Mr Bightnough, was one of the town's top lawyers, and Rhonda and Helga of a mere twenty years old, had both excel through law school and in their careers. Although Helga couldn't possibly understand how Rhonda did it since she seemed to never get tired, or late, or miss a board meeting.
"Mr Bightnough says he's got a special assignment for one of us, and you know I don't mean to brag but. I feel like he's finally noticed my abilities!!!" Rhonda sighed, collapsing into her chair comfortably, while Helga continued to roll her eyes and ignore the display.
"Sickening, just sickening.." She thought watching Rhonda paw a picture that she had taken of their boss, smooching and hugging it dreamy eyed, "how far up a person's ass can you go?"
--
"uh-Hi.." Alex squeaked, sliding down his chair so that Arnold could only see his eyes from the rim of the table. Arnold raised an eyebrow at him and yanked up backup into his seat by the scruff of the neck. He frowned, watching the boy wriggle.
"Do you realise. how much trouble your in?!" Arnold said slowly, making each word stand out more than the one before. Alex darted his eyes away from Arnold who changed his grasp to an arm around him. "Look, I don't want to be mad at you but, .i..i-look I told you not to follow me there!! Why'd you go and do that!" Arnold paused watching as the boy remained silent, and started tugging at his arm.
"..I-a" He mumbled looking down, he felt his start eyes burn, his lips were shaking. He felt as if he was going to cry, and he made a sympathetic glance at Arnold who stood watching him sadly.
".they could take you away. do you want that?"
".no"
"Well then." Arnold continued raising his hand to ruffle Alex's hair gently, listening to him sniff loudly as the hand touched him. His body rigid, he looked up at the elder man and locked his arms around him in a hug.
"Hey-!"Arnold said, watching him bury his face into his coat and sniffed hard yet again, Arnold frowned with a disgusted look on his face picturing the snot that had been smeared onto his jacket. He sighed, it was an old jacket anyway. "-Don't worry kiddie- I'll think of something"